For time could not hold her as she sped down the lonely road, that faithful Saturday night. She wore nothing but an oversized button up shirt and some boy shorts. She ran, not stopping, not even to breathe, for if she did then HE would catch her. She ran; faster than lightning and quicker than the wind, making a left up the long winding road. She didn't know where she was going, but running into a stranger would be better than going back to the monster she knew; speeding up the road she didn't see nor did she hear the car coming behind her, she was too focused on getting as far away as she possibly could.
The car horn blew several times but she wasn't aware of the person so she paid no mind and kept on running. The man behind the wheel couldn't concentrate either, for the lady sitting in the passenger's seat beside him found it quite interesting to bury her head in the driver's lap. Caught up in his pleasure he continued to honk his horn and scream at what he thought was an animal, to get its ass out the way before he combusted. The driver finally decided, 'What the heck, it's just an animal', and pressed the gas, hitting the young girl in the knee, causing her to yelp. The car came to an immediate stop, at that same moment the lady in the car lifted her head. "What was that?" she asked. "Baby, I think I just hit someone!" the man exclaimed while tucking himself back in his pants, then getting out of the car and looking down at the bruised body of a young girl groaning in pain. "Are you alright?" was the first thing he asked after taking a good look at her, "Yes, I'm fine!" she replied brokenly, trying to get up off the ground. "Stay there, let me call an ambulance", he said, getting out his phone. "No!" she half screamed, vigorously shaking her head, "You can't!" "Why not? They will help you get better" He stated with a confused look on his face. "He'll find me if you do!" She blurted out, "And he'll hurt me again. Please don't please" She begged with pleading eyes and a trembling voice. He looked down at the young girl, feeling sympathy for her as she curled up in a ball crying and begging him not to call the ambulance. "Okay fine, I won't call them" he said finally giving in, "But I can't leave you here, so come with me, let's go get you cleaned up, I think I might have hit you too hard", he chuckled a little at the end of his statement before pulling her to her feet and helping her into the backseat of his car before getting in and driving towards the mansion on the hill.
After cleaning the young lady's bruises and taking Isabelle home, Chane was exhausted, but before he retired to his bed he had to get to the bottom of things, after all he had a total stranger in his house and he needed to know why she was running in the middle of the night. Closing his eyes for a brief second he gathered his thoughts, he then opened his eyes and walked into the living room, where the half naked, 5"4 female had been sitting for almost 2 hours. She hadn't moved from that one spot, the far corner of the lovers seat near the fireplace, where her eyes steadily watched the fire, it was like she was glued in the position.
"Are you okay?" Chane asked laying a hand on her shoulder. "Ahhhh!" she jumped up screaming, "Leave me alone!" She said moving to the back of the sofa hiding.
"It's okay, It's just me", Chane reassured her "I'm not trying to hurt you" he said holding up his hands in surrender, "I just wanna talk to you and ask you a few questions, okay?" She nodded skeptically and got up, taking the same seat. Chane pulled the small sofa in front of her and sat. "Let's start small, what's your name?"
"Ummmm... mmm.. huh", she hesitated.
"It's okay, I won't hurt you or bring you back to wherever you came from."
She nodded, "Rylie" she whispered.
"Huh?" Chane asked as he couldn't make out one thing she just said.
"Ryile, my name is Rylie Union" she said elevating her voice. "Okay Rylie, that a very unique name.
How old are you?" he asked, treading lightly.
"I'm 19 years old", she answered politely.
"Why are you running? Or rather, ``Why were you running?" he asked because he couldn't avoid the topic any more.
"My uncle", she replied timidly.
"You don't have to be afraid", Chane said, getting up and sitting beside her. "Whatever you say in this room stays in this room. You can tell me anything". Rylie looked at him unsure, he flashed her a smile and a nod.
"My uncle raped me", she began. "He did it a couple times before, more than necessary, but this time he was going to kill me because I was fighting and screaming because I couldn't take it anymore" she sobbed.
"I tried telling my aunt but she says it's a lie, she would hold me down on the bed and punch me over and over again, telling me how worthless I am and how I'll always be a nobody".
"After she hit me, my uncle would hit me with his hands then his belt", Rylie paused then looked away for the embarrassing part; "He pulled down his pants and his underwear, then tore off my skirt, before looking me in my eyes and saying, Tonight you make for me another son".
"What did he mean?" Chane asked.
Rylie shrugged her shoulders even though she knew the truth about it.
"What happened next?"
"His wife called him downstairs for dinner. He dressed himself and walked out, but not before warning me that if I moved he would kill me, then he patted the gun holster he had on his waist as if he was showing me that he was serious. As soon as I heard his voice downstairs, I jumped from the window of his sons room and ran until I ended up here"
"Why didn't you try to escape the first time he tried?" Chane asked.
"He let me sleep in the basement because he had a lock and key on the door, it had no windows and only one door".
While Rylie was talking all Chane felt for her in that moment was pity, he wanted to hug her but he didn't want it to seem strange because they just met not even 4 hours ago, however, Chane felt that he needed to hug her so he pulled her into his warm body, gently caressing her and soothing her of all her worries.
"It's going to be okay", he reassured her. "Your aunt and uncle cant find you here", he said, giving her a pat on the back before letting her go.
"Do you attend school?"
"No, I graduated early", she replied with a glint in her eyes and a tiny smile across her swollen lips. Chane could hear and see how proud she was of herself in that moment.
"What do you aspire to be?" he asked, seeing how excited she got talking about school.
"A chef", she said, smiling even wider. "You can cook eh?" Chane questioned to which she nodded, "Yes I can".
"Can you cook very well? Chane asked to which she nodded again.
"Very well I have a deal for you", he concluded. She lifted her head to look at him waiting for him to continue. "You cook for me every day and I will pay you five thousand dollars every week, that way you can get yourself an apartment and send yourself back to school, how does that sound?"
Rylie looked around as if she was thinking about it. "Sounds good, I like it", she then replied half smiling.
"Great, you would make breakfast for me in the mornings, sometimes I may be home for lunch. So I'll let you know when I need lunch and you will also make me dinner".
"Sounds great", Rylie added after he finished. "Should I start tomorrow?" she asked eagerly.
"Breakfast is at seven after my workout; lunch is at twelve and have dinner prepared for eight, that's normally the time I get back from the office". Rylie nodded in understanding.
"What do you do?" She then questioned after a moment of silence.
"I am the CEO and owner of Newman's Enterprise Inc", Chane replied proudly. She nodded slowly at him.
"You have no idea what that is do you?" Chane asked, chuckling at her.
"Nope", she said laughing lightly and shaking her head.
"Basically what we do is get a company's brand or product on the market, we come up with ideas that we think will make customers gravitate towards the product and then we advertise it. We also do commercials, pictures, little jingles that kids love, and lastly we market artistes.
"Interesting", Rylie nodded.
"Well Rylie, it's been one hell of a night so I think we should both turn in, come with me and I'll show you where you can sleep for the time being".
Rylie nodded and hopped up. Chane smiled and walked off. He led her upstairs to the first room on the left and opened the door. "Well Rylie, this is you, the bathroom is over there and if you need a change of clothing, there are clothes in the closet".
Rylie smiled looking at the room in awe, "Thank you a lot, no one has ever done this for me, I really appreciate it". She said with a small grin on her face.
Chane couldn't quite put his finger on it, but in that moment something warmed his heart by seeing her smile. "You're most welcome Rylie, have a good night", he said before closing the door.
Rylie spun around and sighed, and thought to herself "Well, let's make the best of it", but little did Rylie know, this was the beginning of a wild adventure.